People urged to ‘treecycle’ after the festive season

People from across the county are being asked to do their bit for the planet by ‘TreeCycling’ their real Christmas trees.

Staffordshire County Council’s sustainability team are now reminding people about the different ways their real tree can be correctly recycled.

Charities such as St Giles Hospice based in Lichfield and Katharine House Hospice based in Stafford, will be collecting trees for a small donation. Collection locations include Lichfield, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Burton, Rugeley, Burntwood, Uttoxeter, Swadlincote, Stafford and surrounding areas. The trees will then be recycled with all donations going towards helping the hospices.

Real trees can also be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres around Staffordshire. The trees will need to be placed into garden waste containers ready to be recycled.

Simon Tagg, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate Change at Staffordshire County Council said: “At Christmas time, we can often be left with a lot of waste to get rid of including our real Christmas trees.

“But there are great initiatives right across the county to ensure we are disposing of, and donating our unwanted trees sustainably. I would urge people to do what they can to help keep Staffordshire sustainable and look out for any local schemes that reduce, reuse or recycle Christmas rubbish.

“The county council has been championing the climate change agenda for a number of years now and has made a commitment to make Staffordshire more sustainable. Ensuring Christmas trees and other waste is correctly recycled, is just another way to help achieve this target.”

The Household Waste Recycling Centres will be open during the Christmas break and closed during the bank holidays.

Information on opening dates and times for the centres and how to book a tree collection with St Giles and Katharine House can be found on the county council webpages.